The Hands that Move the World

Thunderspire II: The Grimmerzhul Outpost

12

MAR/11

From a goblin captive the Collective learns that the slaves once kept by the Bloodreavers have been sold to the duergar. At the Seven Pillared Hall, they pay a visit to Clan Grimmerzhul, a group of duergar who run a merchant post in a keep-like structure at one corner of the hall. When asked about the slave purchase, the duergar are outraged and ask the party to leave the post.

After leaving, they almost immediately go back in. The duergar respond with more direct threats, and the party engages them in combat, quickly wiping out the entirety of the merchants there. A quick search of the post reveals a letter written in dwarvish, accompanied by a map marked up in the same language. They go back to the Halfmoon Inn after ensuring there is nothing else to be taken there, and rest the night.

Lucan, Zil’dejin, Garmeth and Lythanis return to the Chamber of Eyes the next day, presumably morning, although time is difficult to discern in the Seven Pillared Hall. Here, the interrogation of Reb continues, though all he is able to reveal is that the Bloodreavers sold their slaves to the duergar a few days ago, and knows nothing further. They ask if a wizard was present, looking for clues on Paldemar, but Reb is uncertain. The Collective debates for some time on what to do with the terrified Reb, and Zil’dejin’s frustration mounts over the attitude of his companions towards the captured goblin. Eventually, he is simply let go.

With their only lead being the selling of the slaves to the duergar, the party moves back to the Seven Pillared Hall to question the Clan Grimmerzhul merchants who keep their trade outpost. This is still based on the assumption that Paldemar was indeed captured and made a slave, which, while the most likely scenario, has yet to be verified.

The duergar within are every bit as cold and unreceptive as they had been the last time the Eclipse Collective had visited the trading post. It is clear that they are willing to tolerate the group as long as they have money to offer. When questioned on the topic of the purchased slaves, the duergar act insulted and order the group to leave. They do, and outside they deliberate their next move.

They realize they have evidence, but that law is loose in the Seven Pillared Hall, and they will likely receive no direct support from the Mages of Saruun if they attack the duergar. Still, this is their only lead, and they conclude that they must follow up on it.

They reenter the post, and the duergar have now elevated to the level of hostilities, going so far as to draw their weapons and threaten the Collective. The group sees this reaction and reflexively draws weapons themselves, and a fight ensues.

The duergar at the front of the post are rapidly joined by more of their kin from somewhere in the recesses behind the storefront, and the battle goes on for some time, looking grim briefly. After a while, however, all the duergar are defeated, and the party looks around in the trading post for any further clues, having obtained nothing from the duergar themselves. Searching the back rooms, they discover little other than some bedrooms, but discover in one of them a dresser containing a rudimentary map marked in dwarven glyphs, and another letter – also written in dwarvish – apparently addressed to the owner of the room.

After the long day – most of which was spent moving back and forth through the labyrinth – the party investigates some minor leads in the Seven Pillared Hall, and go to rest in their respective rooms at the Halfmoon Inn, prepared to contemplate their next move the following day.